JPRS ID: 9684 WEST EUROPE REPORT SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: JPRS
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP82-00850R000300100047-6
• Release Decision: RIF
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 23
• Document Creation Date: November 1, 2016
• Sequence Number: 47
• Content Type: REPORTS

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JPRS L/9684
_ 23 April 1981
- West Europe Report
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
iF0U0 3/81)
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JPRS L/9684
23 April 1981
WEST EUROPE REPORT
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
(F0U0 3/81) CONTENTS
INDUSTRIAL TECHNOI,OGY
World Industrial Robot Market, Sweden's Role in It Viewed
(Carl-Olof Johard; VECKANS AFFARER, 26 Feb 81)
State of the Art, Fliture Trends of Robotics in FRG
(CAPITAL, Mar 81) ..................a...........
TRAN5PORTATION
Airbus Industry: Update on Production Rate, Saies
(AIR & COSMOS, 14 Feb 81) ..a.............

Airbus Assembly Lin,e To Produce Ten Craft Per Month by 1985
(Gerard Collin.; AIR & COSMOS, 21 Mar 81)
Bri efs
I,PG To FUel Vehicles
Electric Vehicle Tests in Berlin
Shorts 360 Progressing
- a -
C/1D AL'L'i!'T A T T TCL' AliT V
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[III - WE - 151 S&T FOUOI
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INDUSTRIAL TECHNOLOGY
WnRLD INDUSTRIAL ROBOT MARKET, SWEDEN'S ROLE IN IT VIEWED
Stockholm VECKANS AFFARER in Swedish 26 Feb 81 pp 30-33
SWEDEN
_ [Article by Carl-Olof Johard: "Crisis in Costs Has Brought Forth a New Hft Product:
The Industrial Rabot"]
[Text] Swedish xndtistry is quietly 4n the process of working
its way into a new rapidly-growing branch of the world's econ-
omy: industrial robots. For example, Asea recent.ly received a
large order from General Motors which could open the door for
still further business. Also Electrolux, Atlas Copco, and
Kaufeldt are well along in development. The high-cest situa-
tion has made Sweden the world's most robot-dense country. $ut
competition is growing. Internatioaal electronic giants such
as IBM are in the starting blocks to go in the robot business.
The western industrial world stands before a dramatic change of scene, where the
main role will be played by industrial robats. The International Survey Institute
reports an annual growth of industrial robots of over 30 percent, and a sales po-
tential in 1990 of up to 20 billion kronor.
_ The increase of orders is growing at such a rate that during 1981 the robot industry
will be forced to year-long delivery times. In Japan the government authorities have
invested large amounts to automate industry and further improve the country's ability
to compete. The large international firms are preparing for production with limited
manpower. Among others, America's General Motors is planning a large reorganization
program, which will halve the firm's workfarce of 37,000 people by means of indus-
trial robots.
Several leading electronics fii-ms, such as Digital Equipment, Texas Instruments, and
IBM are considering going into thE robot market with expected price reductions as a
result. At the same time an entirely new generation of sensor-equipped process ro-
bots (meaning robots that can "see" and "feel") are under development.
These robots are expected to be able to take over almost 75 percent of today's in-
dustrial work.
"The background for this entire robot boom is naturally in the economic profits which
industry can make through increased productivity. Besides, the repayment period for
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investment capital is relatively short, and businesses can very easily solve the
manpower shortage in especially boring, monotonous, and unhealthy work situations,"
said John-Peter Ryott, marketing manager for the Swedish industrial robot firm
Electrolux Industrial Systems.
_ In Sweden the high-cost situation has caused unusually fast development. Sweden .
leads the world today in robots installed and robcts produced.
~
Of the fully 3,000 industrial robots which were manufactured during 1981 in the west,
the four Swedish firms Asea, Eiectrolux, Kaufeldt, and Atlas Copco accounted for
nearly 800.
Asea was the first among the Swedish firms to enter the robat market at the begin-
ning c,f the 1970's, to meet their own nePds. Today most af their output is sold
outside the firm. Asea's annual production today is fully 500 robots, and the
volume of business is abcut 200 million kronor.
_ Asea's largest markets outside Sweden are West Germany and the United Stat2s. In
Western Europe Asea is the th:ird largest firm with 16 percent of the market, and
in the United States it is the fifth largest w'~th 5 percent of the market. The
reason for Asea's international progress is explained by the Ghief of tiie electronics
oector, Bo Hermansson, who said, "We began early, and launched the most advanced
robot an the market. We have since been able to hold our technological lead. We
' sell on our proficiency and our quality, and expect goad growth in the future in
spite of the increasing competition."
Asea producea advanced so-called process robots primarily for the automobile indus-
try. Recently Asea received its largest United States oxder ever for 20 robots
from General Motors.
At the same time GM bought, in a test order from the Gothenburg firm Selcom, the
new optocatorn--a new system for free-position measuring. It is GM's intentian to
combine optocatorn with Asea's industrial robots.
Optocatorn is now being tested at GM and we expect a still larger follow-up order
from GM during the spring," said Sven-Erik Pettersson, marketing manager at Selcom.
Asea counts itself today as one of the three largest robot manufacturers in the
world. "The manuf acture of robuts is an interesting and rapidly expanding branch
on the Asea tree. An indication of the importance of _=Adustrial robots is a decis-
ion which we recently made to create a robot di;ision with Bjorn Weichbrodt as
- chief. The new robot division is going to be an in.:reasingly impartant leg for
Asea to stand on in the future," said Asea's managing director, Percy Barnevik.
Electrolux Industria"1 Systems, which since its beginning in 1970 has delivered about
500 industrial robots, has today an annual production of 120 robozs and a volume of .
business of fully 30 million kronor.
Large parts of the production go to Scandinavia, England, and Italy, but West Ger-
many and Australia are also growing markets.
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Customers are mostly the automobile industry and its subcontiactors. Si.zce 1972
Electrolux is also the Swedish general agent for the world's largest industrial
robot manufacturer--American Unimation.
"Through cooperntion with Unimation we have been able to concentrate c-a simpler and
cheaper types of working robots," said John-Peter Ryott.
~,'urthermore, last year Electrolux signed a cooperative agreement with the expanded
new American f irm Automdtix. This agreement gives Electrolux acce:=;s tc Automatix
research and development, at the same time as the American market is opened for
Electrolux robots.
"The agreement includes manufacture of our MHU-robots ur_der license in the United
States. This cooperation gives us a better high-technology profile and will with-
out doubt serve to promote a new generation of MHU-robuts," said .John-Peter Ryott.
_ Kaufeldt--earlier owned by Monark--has since the first delivery in 1967 sold ovef
350 robots within and outside the country. For the present Kaufeldt is moving
forward and producticn is over 100 robots per year. Important pu-rchasers are in
West Germany, Holland, and Switzerland. In the Unfted States the goal is to reach
a one percent share of the market in the near future.
Kaufeldt manufactures pneumatic-powered working robots and customers are found
primarily in the plastics, workshop, and foundry industries. In these areas Kau-
feldt leads the market.
Since the present management took over from Monark in 1978 the volwne of business
- has grown from 3.8 to 10 million kronor (1980).
"We have experienced a constantly increasing demand during recent years, and we
therefore expect an annual growth in the future of about 30 percent," said the
sales manager, Bjorn Lindstrom.
Atlas Copco is the newest member of the Swedish robot club, with its two years in
the robot market. During this time the firm has marketed only one model--a surface-
finishi:ig robot. In spite of this they have succeeded in capturing 0.5 percent of
the Western European market. About 50 robots per year are sold.
"But we are